Statement from Senator Anna M. Kaplan in Response to the Loss of Amazon HQ2

“We cannot have a thriving community without a strong and diverse economy that provides opportunity for people at all levels. The loss of Amazon HQ2 will have a devastating impact on the ability of our state to attract investment and create the good-paying jobs that allow businesses to prosper and New Yorkers to flourish. There should be no celebration in a loss of opportunity for New Yorkers, nor celebration in the loss of economic activity which would have gone a long way towards providing the improvements to local infrastructure we sorely need. We can’t afford to let perfection be the enemy of progress, nor allow politics to rise above the people’s best interest. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business, I am committed to ensuring that New York continues to be open for business, and I will not let this terrible loss shut the door on future opportunities for responsible economic development.”